Devil Lily
by LadyBuG
Summary: It's been 2 years since Kimiko left the temple, and one day, she unexepectedly runs into none other than Jack Spicer. What's he doing in Tokyo. . .? Go ahead, guess the pairing!
1. Ashes

First, this fic is **_NOT_** exactly accurate to the series. In fact, it may even be considered AU, since I haven't seen all the episodes; Hannibal Roy Bean? Doesn't exist. Raimundo as Shoku Leader? Not happening. Basically, anything pertaining to Season 3 is void. And though I do my best to keep in sync with the over all events, my imagination often runs away with me. So if you see a mistake somewhere, feel free to tell me about it, just don't expect anything to change, 'cause chances are, I intended for it to be that way. My writing is what it is; you can take it or leave it. It's up to you.

Second, bear in mind that this fic takes on a more mature theme (at least more so than is usually intended for two characters from an animated kid's show), thus the general feeling will be more serious than the usual humurous undertone's the show is usually conveying. My general theory is that when the show began, everyone was around 13 or 14, and when it ends, they're around 16 or 17. And while I'm never terribly graphic-I even censor most of the curse words-it's worth mentioning that Jack and Kimiko are supposed to be 19, and well. . .19-year-olds rarely stay PG, you know?

Third, I apologize if either Jack or Kimiko seem OOC, especially Jack. Like I previously stated, they're supposed to be older and more mature, but I may have over-done it with Jack. He's not hard to keep in character really, it's just that I want so badly to turn him into a broody, angst-ridden anti-hero that it's riddiculous. I like to think he's not as goofy or dopey as he acts most of the time, so my personal views may reflect on his behavior. Try not to take it too seriously, 'kay?

Last but not least, all you Chase and/or Wuya fans out there won't like me very much, because I've killed them both off. Yeah, I just couldn't find a place for either of them in the plot (if there even is one) so they're both gone. I never really explain how they both die either, it's just assumed that there was a big battle between the Heylin's and Xiaolin's, and the monks came out on top. Vague, yes, but I'm too deep in Jack/Kim fluff right now to give a proper explaination; sorry. Just. . .sit back and try to enjoy the unlikely pairing, alright? -sheepish grin-

And just to fill your head with useless info, 'devil lily' is another word for 'tiger lily'. Now, on with the fic!

Oh, and I don't own Xiaolin Showdown.

**Devil Lily**

Chapter I - **Ashes**

Soundtrack / inspiration:

It's About Time - Lillix  
Still Frame - Trapt  
Freshman - Verve Pipe

_Time is creeping behind me, surrounding around me  
Fading the words so desperately  
Now give me a reason that I can believe in  
Time is something you can't rewind_

It's About Time - Lillix

* * *

Two years. 

Twenty-four months.

Seven-hundred and thirty days.

However it was worded or spoken would never matter, because the result would always be the same.

Only two years.

Psh. _As if._

More like two _decades_.

That was Kimiko's Tohomiko's personal opinion, anyway. And in her own little world, where she was God, her opinions were the absolute truths. These days, she found herself retreating to this world more and more, as it gave her comfort in times of great stress.

Should she be alarmed by the increase in her trips to La-La Land?

Eh. _Maybe_.

Still, she couldn't argue with the facts, and the facts stated she'd only been away from the Xiaolin Temple for two years.

That didn't change her resolution that it _felt a lot longer_.

And she missed her former days as the Xiaolin Dragon of Fire. Terribly.

Oh, it wasn't that she didn't like being in Tokyo; not at all. Japan was her home, always was always would be, and it had that special "fuzzy" feeling that made her warm from body to soul. She treasured that feeling above all else.

It was this, combined with several other factors, that had prompted her departure from the temple in the first place.

Wuya was dead. Not even her ghost would come back to pester them anymore.

Chase Young was pushing up daisies beside her.

Only a few Shen Gong Wu remained unfound, and the one's that had been discovered were on the Xiaolin side, safely tucked away where prying hands couldn't reach them and were on constant gaurd.

Things had finally begun to slow down.

And one day, after a long list of chores had been checked off, Kimiko wasn't at all surprised to find a message from her papa waiting in her digital mail box. He thought it might be a good idea for her to attend college back home, and after some gentle coaxing, the 'young monk' agreed. Maybe a life away from constant global destruction and ancient Heylin threats would be. . .nice. Relaxing.

She may even find time for a little romance. The prospect of a boyfriend was exciting. . .

And so very foolish, too.

It didn't take long for Kimiko to realize that a strict college regiment, and a few dates scattered here and there, would _never_ replace three years of adventure and friendship with her fellow dragons. She'd become an adrenaline junkie living with those three, and who would be surprised when she was fighting the forces of evil on a daily basis, not to mention feeling hard pressed to prove her ability in a group driven by testoserone? It didn't take much for her to gain respect, of course, but they always seemed to forget just why she'd been given the element of fire. She missed reminding them.

Not that they didn't keep in touch, mind. Before she left, Kimiko had miraculously convinced Mast Fung to install a telephone. Nothing too high tech, of course, but it would do for the purpose it served. For Clay and Omi, who did not have the luxury of cell phones, it was an easy way to reach her whenever they wanted. And they called often, keeping her up-to-date with the current events, which hadn't sped up in the least. Except for the occassional attempted raid or two, nothing had occured that would warrant her services as the Xiaolin Dragon of Fire once more.

That didn't change her longing to see them all, face to face, again; she'd even take doing chores all day if it meant being able to see their ugly mugs.

She missed them all so dearly, that it almost felt like it physically hurt. That couldn't possibly be healthy, not the way she figured. Making excuses for her growing addiction to escapism was one thing. . .this yen for the 'good ol' days' was another. It was starting to worry her, just a little. . .and was only a matter of time before her friends and family noticed. Kimiko was determined to find a solution before it came to that, which lead her to an arguable conclusion:

Something needed to happen. That was all. She needed to stimulate herself with something, anything, that caught her fancy, before her emotions ran away with her, taking her sanity along for the ride.

That's when her wish for more excitement in her life was uncerimoniously granted.

That's when she bumped into Jack Spicer.

* * *

Kimiko hated the 3-block walk from her classes main building to her dorm, not because it was strenuous-on the contrary, she rather enjoyed the exercise. When she was without companionship, however, it gave her too much time to think. . .and these days, pause for thought was not a welcome luxury. Luckily, keeping distracted was easy enough, especially with her active surroundings. 

The busy streets of Tokyo, Japan were not kind to someone who wasn't prepared. A person who wasn't used to traveling in large crowds could easily be overwhelmed, and often stood out like a sore thumb.

To a native like Kimiko, however, public limitations were a familiar obstacle. She had learned over the years how to weave in, out, and around a sea of bodies, and at a prime age of 19, she was practically a pro. Still, mishaps (like tripping or spacing out), while consciously avoided, were not uncommon , and frankly, expected (especially wandering hands in compact spaces). They were dealt with accordingly, than promptly forgotten. Sometimes, a memorable event occured but that was rare, and for the most part, unwanted.

So when Kimiko's elbow accidently bumped into an unfamiliar body, she didn't think twice about it. In fact, she didn't even bother to look up as she mumbled an automatic "sorry" under her breath.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" was the offended reply. _So familiar. . ._

Two sets of feet froze at the same time.

All activity around them ceased.

And, somehow staying in sync, they both whirled around to face the other, seeking visual confirmation.

" Kimiko. . .!"

That voice.

The Japanese girl would not require her sight to affirm what she already knew. Her ears seemed to drown outside noises, 'til the memory of a voice less deep but simular in tone and pitch, echoed against the walls of her brain.

_"Now that I've defeated you, perhaps you'll respect the genuis of Jack-"_

"- Spicer!"


	2. Rekindled

Pointless thought: how in god's name does Kimiko do all that jumping around in those short skirts? And how do they stay up when she's doing the X-Kumei Formation? You'd think she'd feel. . . I don't know. . . exposed? 'Course, I have to remember, this is supposed to be a kid's show we're talking about. Yeah.

Huge thanks to all reviewers! You're too kind to this X.S. newbie!

Chapter II - **Rekindled**

Soundtrack / Inspiration:

Black Horse and the Cherry Tree - KT Tunstall  
Run for It - Delerium ft. Leigh Nash  
Hit the Road Jack - Ray Charles

_I can't love a hater, it's a losing game  
Never love a quitter, you'll get left in the rain  
I can't help the helper when my feet are bound  
I can't feel you near me if you're not the only sound_

Run for It -- Delerium ft. Leigh Nash

* * *

The first thing that registered after the initial shock was the odd absence of his eye-catching goggles. 

Strange. She always thought he'd never be caught dead without them. . .

. . .the rest of her comprise was left in his dust as he turned tail and ran the opposite direction, mowing down anyone who happened to get in his way.

Kimiko stood stunned for a second longer, 'til her brain knocked itself back into sense.

_Idiot! Don't let him get away! He could be up to something!_

With that last thought in mind, she broke into a run, trailing after the red head at an increasing pace while being a bit more mindful of the bodies around her.

Well. . . maybe it wasn't exactly what she had in mind, but it was better than nothing.

* * *

Jack was panting. 

He was sweating.

And after sprinting for some lost track of time, he was starting to develop a painful stitch.

Perfect.

He twisted around, and nearly wept with joy to see no one behind him. In fact, this part of town was fairly deserted, which was a welcome bonus, even it didn't help him in his current situation.

. . .what was his current situation again. . .?

Sapped of energy, the self-proclaimed evil boy genius slowed his frantic pace into a complete stop. Leaning forward, he rested one hand on his knee and the other against a nearby wall. Even through the fabric of his gloves, the cooling concrete felt like ice to his burning skin.

_Oh what sweet salvation!_

Previous events carelessly tossed aside, Jack pressed his cheek against the cement and groaned appreciatively.

Sooo much better. . .

"I'm impressed Spicer. You run pretty fast for someone who's used to _flying_ away."

Oh. Great. _Now_ he remembered why he was out of breath. What a pain.

Jack's blurry vision was assaulted then by a curvy figure (_hm, not bad_), no doubt the same one to match the feminine voice that spoke to him like he was an old acquaintance. In a retrospect kind of way, that's exactly what he was.

He preferred, however, to think of them as old enemies. And that long-familiar flame that had boiled the bad blood between their opposing sides was beginning to rekindle itself.

"You. . .you're still a. . .a little firecracker. . .I see. . ."

Was he still panting? For heaven's sake! He didn't look as scrawny as he used to, but appearances were so oftentimes deceiving.

Speaking of appearances. . .now that she got a good look at him, she realized that aside from the lack of his usual head wear, he looked exactly as she remembered him. There were minor differences, yes, but those were details she couldn't be bothered with right now. Perhaps later. . .

"Naturally. And you're still a coward," she shot back, the confidence she wore as a second skin beaming around her like an aura. She never left home without it.

"Naturally," he was quick on the uptake.

Well, at least he wasn't panting anymore.

"So why change your usual escape method now? You could easily get away from me with that heli-pack of yours," Kimiko wasted no time in launching more verbal abuse. If she was lucky, it would distract her from her own thoughts, and where they may go.

Jack whole-heartedly followed her lead without a single complaint.

"My heli-pack recently went on the fritz. I could blow myself up if I activated it now."

"I fail to see the negative connotation."

_Why you little. . ._

He didn't have the internal resources to finish his train of thought. He couldn't help gnashing his teeth together-a bad habit he never bothered to break, and never would-his glower a mere shadow of what it once was. Of course, Kimiko's intuition caught this absence of malice immediately, yet refused to acknowledge the presence of any change in him at all. She just kept telling herself he was still the same greaseball she knew and hated, and for the most part, it worked. For now.

In the meantime, Jack felt dizzy with a confusion unlike any he'd ever experienced.

He _wanted_ to be angry. Really. He would gladly fling her insults all day, if life warranted such an activity. What a fun 24-hours those would be!

. . .only his heart just wasn't into it. Not like it used to be. And he had a fairly good idea why, too.

But damned if he would ever willingly say it out loud to _her_.

So instead of giving in to his broody mood, he resisted it. He found himself doing that a lot lately. . .he opted not to think too much these days. . .

"Tell me. Out of Tokyo's 12 million estimated populace, how did I end up bumping into the one person I wanted to most avoid. . .?"

Kimiko pursed her rouge-tinted lips, and Jack tried his best not to stare at them too hard.

Hey. Just because she was a Xiaolin Loser didn't mean she was unattractive. Far from it. He wasn't afraid to admit that. She knew it too, always showing off in those little mini skirts of hers. . .kinda like the one she wore now. . .

"I've got one even better. Out of the 7 continents spanning across 4 main ocean bodies, why did you pick Japan to grace with your presence?"

He managed to rip his attention away from her legs to stare into her face.

". . .I'm sight seeing."

Kimiko scowled deeper. Not only was Jack Spicer openly ogling her, but he was out right lieing to her as well. Did the man have a death wish?

"I'm sorry, you must have me mistaken for Omi. Or do you really believe I'll buy into your lame deception that easily?"

"Believe whatever you want, Tohomiko. Just do it on your own time. Mine's too precious to waste."

"You know, I'm not sure, but I think your head has grown a size or two over the last couple years we've been out of touch. You really should let the air out of it every once in a while; you don't want it to pop or anything."

"Ha ha, that's so clever. I guess the shorter your skirt gets, the smarter _you_ get-"

_SMACK!_

Kimiko was instantly in his face, which had whipped to the side thanks to her timely slap. A giant red hand print materialized over his pale skin, and he rubbed at it resentfully as he turned back to squint at her.

"That hurt!"

"Good! Bastard!"

"Wench!'

"Crybaby!"

"Spoiled brat!"

It could have been well over an hour before their name-calling died down, as each ran out of insults to scream. When all was said and done, they resorted to a glaring match, their eyes juggling daggers back and forth between them. The tension grew higher every minute, and Jack knew he would be the first crack under its pressure. He'd been wise enough not to call her anything too offensiveཤྭlike 'bitch'ཤྭduring their row, but it wasn't over yet, and he was sure the longer he lingered, the more likely he was to lose control and blurt it out without thinking. That would earn him more than just a slap in the face, of that he was quite certain.

_Time to cut this short before I end up in a strecher._

Jack gave her his best frustrated snarl, than spun on his heel and began walking away.

He could practically hear Kimiko blanche, and he knew she wasn't going to let him go just like that wtihout a fight.

"Hey!"

She easily caught up to him and snagged his elbow, halting his march.

"Where do you think you're going?"

He glared at her from over his shoulder.

"Away."

"'Away' where?"

"I don't know, away from you?"

"Just answer the question."

"No."

"Look, Jack. I'm not letting you leave until you tell me what your business is in Tokyo. Simple as that."

"Why do you want to know so badly, anyway?"

"Because, the last time you were in my home town, you aided PandaBubba in his attempt to overthrow my dad's company, turning him and all his employees into mindless zombies. Who knows what you could be up to this time, but you can be sure I won't you let get away with it!"

Jack regarded her for a moment, his expression unreadable. That alone was enough to unnerve Kimiko; his expression was _always_ readable. . .

". . .that really got under your skin, didn't it?"

She tilted her head, unsure of what he was getting at.

_Better play along if I want any answers._

"Damn straight. No one messes with my family and lives to tell about it!" she affirmed, clenching her fist for emphasis.

He winced and looked away. But not before Kimiko caught the look of pain that crossed his eyes.

_What the. . .?_

"Jack?" his name left her frowning mouth by accident.

_No._

_Don't do that._

_Don't show concern when you don't really care._

"Just. . .," he browsed for something suitable to say. He needed to leave now; the longer he stayed, the more he gave himself away.

". . .just back off, all right Kimiko? Forget you ever saw me and I'll do the same, that way we can get on with our happy little lives in blissful ignorance."

He shook her off and gave her what he intended to be a final farewell glance.

"Sayonara."

He started walking away again. And made it to a total of five steps before her delicated fingers recaptured his arm.

"Spicer! You can't jus-"

Jack whirled around so that he was up close and very, very personal.

"I said BACK OFF Kimiko! I mean it! What I'm doing in Japan has nothing to do with you. You have no idea what you're talking about, and you have no right to butt into my business because of my track record with the Shen Gong Wu. You're not welcome in my life, and likewise, I'm not welcome in yours, so let's leave it at that and go our seperate ways. Agreed?"

He never gave her a chance to reply. And since Kimiko was suddenly dumb-struck from being told off by Jack Spicer (what had the world come to?), she let him break away and round the corner; out of sight, but not out of mind.

_"-you have no right to butt into my business because of my track record with the Shen Gong Wu."_

Duh! The Shen Gong Wu! That's what he was after!

_God am I slow today, or what? Maybe it's just a sideaffect to running into Spicer, of all people._

But then, if that were true, why wasn't he back at the temple trying to raid the Shen Gong Wu vault? She could follow him and pry the answers out of him, yet for some reason, that option didn't seem as likely to work anymore. . .

He had changed. _Dramatically_.

Kimiko shook her head briefly and looked down at her hands. She could see a very slight tremor lining her skin.

_Two years._

That wasn't the same Jack Spicer she remembered.

He was different. She couldn't deny that any longer.

_"You're not welcome in my life, and likewise, I'm not welcome in yours, so let's leave it at that and go our seperate ways."_

The japanese girl's expression turned to stone. She spun on her heel, and retraced her steps, resuming her previous journey before it had been so rudely interrupted.

Not that she cared.


	3. Yon

I recently discovered YouTube! Oh, the possibilities.

And for those of you who know me from Recoiling -- blame Jack. It's all his fault. He grabbed my attention and refused to let go. AnthyRose knows what I'm talking about. . .so stubborn. Than there's my Jack/Kim obsession. . .-sigh-

Chapter III - **Yon**

Soundtrack / Inspiration:

Glycerine - Bush  
Call Me Call Me - Cowboy Bebop

_I treated you bad  
You bruise my face  
Couldn't love you more  
You got a beautiful taste  
Don't let the days go by  
Could have been easier on you  
I couldn't change though I wanted to_

Glycerine -- Bush

* * *

Kimiko stared long and hard at the cellular device sitting innocently on her desk top. The light from her work lamp illuminated its pink, plastic exterior, which was also decorated with the occasional panda face here and there. From across the room, she sat on the edge of her bed, legs crossed like a lady (but only because she was in a skirt), one elbow propped atop her knee, her chin resting in her palm. She chewed her bottom lip attentively, a bad habit she'd been trying to break since childhood. 

This had been going on for well over 45 minutes. Every time she reached out to pick up the phone, she recoiled again and went into a meditative trance.

A day had gone by since her encounter with Jack Spicer. Try as she might (and she _did try_) to forget all about it, the incident refused to let her be. The look on his face and the tone in his voice replayed over and over again in her head, until she felt like ripping her hair out. Strand by strand.

She didn't care. At least, not about _him_.

What she cared about was the implications his appearance brought, because as much of a joke as Jack may have been as a world conqueror, he was still capable of doing significant damage. Kimiko would never be able to live with herself if something happened that she could've prevented.

Admitting to herself that the Heylin antagonist was somehow under her skin had been hard enough.

Doing something about it was damn near impossible.

She'd turned her brain upside down looking for a solution, and in the end, came up with only one idea.

She could ring up her friends back at the temple and ask them about it. They hadn't called in a while, and it would be a good opportunity to catch up, if anything.

Still. Making them fret over nothing was not what she intended, and asking them about Jack Spicer would raise a lot questions. It was all this and more that made her hesitate.

_The longer I wait, the more chance I give Spicer to make his move._

Steeling herself, Kimiko finally picked up her cell, flipped it open, and dialed the number. She listened to the dial tone disappear, and after a few rings, heard the receiver pick up, followed by muffled scuffling, than a faint, familiar voice.

"Okay. . .how does thing work again?. . .hello? Hellooo?. . .oh, whoops! Wrong end. . ."

Kimiko tried not to face plant.

"Hello?" the same voice repeated, though with a much louder audio.

"Hey Dojo."

"Kimiko! What a pleasant surprise! Haven't head from you in while. I never got a chance to thank you for that last fruit basket you sent me either. So thank you!"

"Oh, your welcome! Listen, I hate to be in a rush, but are any of the guys around?"

"Uhh, hold on let me check. I think-hey!"

The dragon's dialogue was suddenly cut off.

"KIMIKO!"

Said Japanese girl cringed and held the phone a few inches away from her ear.

"Hiya, Omi."

It took ten minutes to calm the excited monk on the other line. His ecstatic chatter was hard to talk over.

"Omi, listen. . .are you listening? I have something important to ask you."

There was a short pause, in which the vibrant monk seemed to sober up.

"Is everything well, Kimiko?"

Her heart swelled appreciatively when she heard the concern in his voice. He always did care more than was expected of him.

"I don't know Omi. That's what I'm trying to find out."

"Than by all means, ask your question."

Kimiko took a deep breath.

"You haven't seen Jack Spicer around lately. . .have you?"

Another pause.

". . .Jack Spicer you say? Hmm. . .now that I think about it, he hasn't shown up for quite a long while. After you left, he tried many times to steal all the Shen Gong Wu from the temple. Naturally, he was no match for the superior skills of Clay, Raimundo and I! We opened a container of butt-whooping on him every time! Haha!"

Kimiko rolled her eyes at his usual misconception of modern slang. She never bothered to correct him anymore.

"But I suppose he has not shown up because he has finally figured out the Shen Gong Wu have been deactivated. . ."

Blink. Blink.

"_What?_"

"Yes, did you not know? Master Fung and the other elite monks performed a ceremony not long ago that deactivated all the Shen Gong Wu-"

"No I did not know that! Why didn't anyone bother to tell me this important bit of info!"

"Well, we have all been very busy lately. . ."

"Hold up. How'd they go all inactive?"

Omi began to answer, then there was some shuffling, and an offended 'hey!', followed by:

"Yo, Kim, what up girl?"

She could just see the Brazilian now, holding the phone out of the smaller monk's reach and sticking his tongue out, like it was something to be proud of.

"Raimundo."

"Hey what's wrong? You don't sound very happy. . ."

"Well, for one, I _was_ talking to Omi, and two, apparently no one thought to inform me that the Shen Gong Wu were dormant again."

He at least had the decency to sound sheepish.

"Oh, hehe, yeah about that. . .the Fung Meister just kinda sprung it on us one day! Something about 'the time being right' and all that, you know how he is. Anyway, Clay, Omi, and I have all been given the task of finding new places to stash the Wu. It hasn't been easy, let me tell ya. . ."

Kimiko was glad no one could see the pitiful expression on her face over the phone line. She wasn't one to pout, but sometimes, she couldn't stop herself. Now was one of those times.

They could've at least _asked_ her if she wanted to help.

Yeah, she'd have to say no, what with school and all, but still. . .

The Dragon of Fire put on her best front, and for the next hour and a half, chatted with the other dragon's like nothing was bothering her.

By the time she hung up, she'd forgotten all about her reason for calling in the first place.

It all came flooding back once she set her cell back down in same position it had been before she picked it up.

Jack Spicer.

Oh yeah.

Omi said he hadn't shown up at the temple for a long time.

_"-because he has finally figured out the Shen Gong Wu have been deactivated. . ."_

Because. . .

_"-because of my track record with the Shen Gong Wu."_

Because he didn't know.

He didn't know the Shen Gong Wu had been deactivated.

. . .well, that may or may not have been true. This new info brought up many theories, yes, but none that she could prove, and she was so tired all of the sudden, that she resolved to think more on it after a well deserved nap.

Yes. Sleep, _then_ think. . .


	4. Circles

Jack returns! You know you missed him. ;)

Chapter IV - **Circles**

Soundtrack / Inspiration:

6 Underground - Sneaker Pimps  
Into the Void - Nine Inch Nails  
Circles - Soul Coughing

_Calm me down, bring it round  
Too way high off your street  
I can see like nothing else  
In me you're better than I wannabe  
Don't think cos I understand I care,  
don't think cos I'm talking we're friends,  
Overground, watch this space,  
I'm open to falling from grace_

6 Underground - Sneaker Pimps

* * *

It was easy enough to track him down again. 

Kimiko had ways (some more devious then others) of finding out what she wanted and/or needed to know. And her accomplished hacking skills, combined with all the latest technology at her fingertips (thanks to her Papa), there was very little that escaped her reach.

But she wasn't following Jack Spicer.

No, really.

She was. . .just keeping in time with him. With his movements and whereabouts.

At every second.

Of every day.

Ok, so technically, she was following him. But she told herself it was for good reason. And that was the truth.

Only. . .

The Xiaolin Dragon of Fire couldn't deny any longer that it was Jack's strange behavior that intrigued her more than anything else. He was acting very. . .un-Jack-Spicer-like, for lack of a better way to put it.

Then again, maybe he'd just finally matured. It was possible.

Either way, no one else had to know she was keeping tabs on him. She would make sure it _stayed_ that way, too, 'til a time came for action to be taken.

. . .which could very well be a while. Two weeks had gone by, and so far, he'd done nothing, except hop around the world like a buzzing fly on garbage. It really had been by sheer, unadulterated coincidence when they ran into each other; he'd only been passing through Tokyo. Sometimes he lingered in one place, then bolted in and out of the next. There was always someone he ended up talking to, and it didn't take Kimiko long to figure out that Jack was heading up info.

He _had_ to be looking for the Shen Gong Wu.

There was just no other explanation.

And for some reason, it was killing her not to say anything to him. That confused her. Greatly.

It was _supposed_ to be amusing for her to watch. Jack had been a thorn in the Xiaolin side ever since the first day her and her fellow dragons encountered him. All he cared about was the Shen Gong Wu, because without them, he was of little threat, much less getting anywhere with his plans for world domination. His tech knowledge and engineering talents were formidable, but without that he had nothing.

He was a weakling, and he knew it. That's why he'd given up on the Xiaolin way that time he'd come to stay at the temple. Omi had given Jack his trust, and in time, the rest of them would have done the same. If the Heylin sympathizer had just stuck with it. . .

But no. Jack chose to betray Omi's confidence and went crawling back to Chase & Wuya, like the pathetic worm he was.

Oh, she remembered what Omi had said when he told them about the Xiaolin Showdown between himself and Jack that night he broke into the evil genius's lair with Katnappe. It had been a game of Truth or Lie, and Jack had clumsily revealed his true intentions. He had tried to be good, but gave in to the first sign of temptation from a petty fear of failing his new expectations.

He was a rotten, no-good cheater and liar who wanted the world handed to him on a silver platter. She owed him nothing, and nothing was exactly what he deserved.

Even with that empowering knowledge at her back, the guilt refused to go away. It wallowed in the pit of her stomach, lurching sometimes and making her feel sick. And no matter what she told herself, it refused to go away.

Was her intuition trying to tell her something?

Or was she trying to see something that wasn't really there?

Well. . .she'd never find out this way. Clearly, if she wanted any answers, she'd have to confront him, face to face.

So one evening, she made herself known to the wayward Heylin boy.

_

* * *

Crud._

_Another dead end._

Jack kicked the ground, spraying up dirt, and muttered curses under his breath. At this rate, he'd be Master Fung's age before he made any leeway in his search. Why'd his detect-o bot have to go and crap out on him? _Why_?

Shoving his hands into his pockets, the evil boy genius sulked as he walked down a path in some deserted park he didn't know the name of, yet had been to many times. It was always a good place to be alone; he came there often to clear his head or just to rest after a long day. And today had been very, very long indeed.

Twilight settled over the sky, and the street lamps were just now starting to light. He liked this time of day best. It made him feel. . .content. If only for an hour or two.

Jack never was never one to stay satisfied for too long, anyway.

This night, however, he found his solitude. . .interrupted, so to speak. By none other than the Xiaolin Dragon of Fire herself.

_What a pleasant surprise. _

_Not._

He saw her in the distance, her silhouette pristine and ethereal against the dim illumination of early nightfall. Even from far away, he knew who it was.

And he knew that this time, their ineluctable encounter was not by accident.

That meant she'd been following him.

_How cute._

He slowed to a halt and watched her gaze dreamily at the stars for a minute. He could turn and walk the other way, but knowing her, she'd just trail after him. Best course of action: play it cool and see what she wanted. He had nothing better to do (not that _she_ needed to know that).

Without saying a word, he strolled up to the park bench she sat on and took a seat next to her. She didn't give him any sort of greeting as he did, and for a while, nothing was said at all. On the outside, they appeared as two strangers looking for a short rest.

Of course, that was hardly the case.

"You don't give up, do you?"

Kimiko's grin was lazy when she tilted her head to gaze upon him at last.

"Nope. Don't know how, I'm afraid."

He looked so. . .comfortably distant. Hands stuffed in his pockets. Slouching so far down, his head fell back against the wooden backing. At ease, yet tense at the same time, a contradicting mix that he pulled off quite well.

She allowed her vision to linger on him a moment longer before returning it to the sky. The last thing she wanted was to be caught staring.

That didn't mean she couldn't do it out of the corner of her eye.

"You're goggles."

His eyebrows knitted together, making him appear troubled. She'd unintentionally touched a nerve. Whoops.

"What about 'em?"

_Might as well keep going._

"Why aren't you wearing them? I don't think I've ever seen you without them on."

He shrugged, feigning indifference.

"I just decided I didn't like them anymore."

Kimiko wasn't fooled for a second.

"Why?"

"Why does it matter?"

"I guess it doesn't. I'm just curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat, Kimiko, remember?"

"I'm not a cat. I'm a dragon."

He looked like he sincerely wanted to laugh.

She surprised herself by actually feeling disappointed when he didn't.

"Yeah, guess you are. . ."

Ok.

Enough beating around the bush.

"You're looking for the Shen Gong Wu, aren't you?"

The guileless smirk forming on his lips instantly faded. Some distant part of her was sad to see it go.

"Whatever gave you that idea?"

"I'm only going to warn you once, Spicer: don't. lie. to me."

She barely caught his sneer of defeat.

". . .what do you think, monk?" he answered with a question. The sarcasm dripping from his voice confirmed her speculations.

Instead of feeling better, she felt even worse than before. Because now she knew for certain what he was looking for.

And she knew exactly why he couldn't find it.

_Why_ did that bother her so much?

Kimiko wanted to scream, and ended up settling for an internal groan instead. It was times like these she wished her emotions came with an off switch.

Too bad life wasn't that simple.

She could sit here and battle with herself all day. Nothing would change, and she was so sick of fighting how she felt. If she felt guilty, than she felt guilty. She'd just have to deal with it.

_Easier said than done._

Beside her, blissfully unaware of her inner turmoil, the boy genius let out a bored yawn. She was rudely reminded that he wouldn't wait around for her thoughts to sort themselves out forever.

In sudden haste, Kimiko made a decision.

"Say Jack. . .? You. . . do you wanna. . .go get some ice cream?"

He stared incredulously at her.

Was she playing at something here. . .?

"Now?"

"Yes, now."

His expression was blank, but she knew he felt suspicious by her proposition. She didn't blame him, either.

". . .I'm not telling you anything."

Kimiko rolled her slanted hues.

_Ass._

"I know," she assured him in the most neutral tone she could muster. "Actually, as it just so happens, I'm the one who needs to tell you something."

He raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. Kimiko was glad for that. She only hoped she was making the right choice. . .

Then he shrugged again.

"Sure, why not?" he airily agreed.

That was faster than expected, and fairly painless too. _Thank god_.

They both stood up at the same time.

"You're treating, by the way."

Jack made a violated sound as she started walking ahead, leaving him to catch up to her.

"It wasn't even my idea to get ice cream in the first place!"

Good to see he still knew how to whine.

"Sure it was!" she playfully countered. "Don't you remember? You offered just after the first time we defeated Wu-"

"Oh yeah. Now I remember. Slipped my mind."

Kimiko cast him a sideways glance, questions burning behind her eyes. He stubbornly refused to meet her gaze, and somehow, she managed to stay her tongue.

She'd keep her thoughts to herself.

For now.


	5. Angst

Obvious title, no? Jack says the 'F' word. There's a little blood, too. And man, it's been a _long_ time since I listened to these bands. . .brings back memories. . .

Chapter V - **Angst**

Soundtrack / Inspiration:

Blue Monday - Orgy  
Make Me Bad - Korn  
Break Stuff - Limp Bizkit

_I thought it would be fun and games (would be fun and games)  
Instead it's all the same (it's all the same)  
I want something to do  
Need to feel the sickness in you_

Make Me Bad - Korn

* * *

"How long?" 

Kimiko worried her bottom lip between her teeth and fiddled with her empty ice cream container, her nerves jumbled up in one big tangled mess. This wasn't at all how she imagined it would turn out. Maybe it was a bad idea telling him about the Shen Gong Wu. . .and their outing had started off on such a good note, too. . .

She'd convinced him to accompany her back to Japan, because she knew of a great little spot she'd been going to since childhood that served the best sundae's she'd ever had. He reluctantly agreed (not that she gave him much choice) and before she could protest, they were in his air car.

Oh, what the guys would say if they could only see her now.

It wasn't until they were actually inside the cozy shop that he cheekily mentioned his absence of Japanese currency. To which Kimiko replied in a sugary sweet tone that he'd just have to pay her back. . .and he _would_ pay her back. Jack had gulped and nodded, making Kimiko grin smugly. They proceeded to order then sat down in a nearby booth, and for a while, all else was forgotten as they chatted up about nothing in particular. He even laughed a few times, brightening Kimiko's mood more then she cared to admit. This went on until their ice cream arrived, and all talk ceased.

Kimiko finished before him, and resorted to watching him as he munched on his chocolate chip cookie dough dish. He wore a goofy kind of expression, and even made happy little noises when he found chunks of cookie dough, and for the first time since their reunion, he'd been acting like his old, quirky self.

She had to go and ruin that by picking that exact moment to blurt out the bad news.

"TheShenGongWuhaveallbeendeactivatedthat'swhyyoucan'tfindtheWuyou'relookingfor."

The spoonful of flavored ice Jack had been raising to his lips stopped dead.

All of it was in one, long breath. She didn't know how he understood any of what just splurged out of her mouth, but he obviously understood enough. She hadn't been shouting, but she did manage to startle nearby patrons in neighboring booths to look in their direction. Kimiko was too preoccupied to feel humiliated; all her attention rested on Jack now as she calculated his reaction.

It was a long while before he moved again. She was taken aback to see him calmly resume his actions, silent and stony faced, the polar opposite of his up-beat attitude only a second before.

No more silly grin.

No more happy little noises.

And for some reason she couldn't fathom, their absence made her want to cry.

Once he'd finished his dessert, he set the empty dish off to the side, than laced his fingers together and rested them against his chin thoughtful. The whole scenario strangely reminded her of Chase Young, and she wondered if maybe the villain had rubbed off on Jack more than anyone realized.

"How long?"

Kimiko desperately wanted to ask 'How long what?', but thought better of it. Instead, she took the question as it was and ran with it.

"I think it's been a few weeks now, maybe a month or two. Rai did say that he, Omi, and Dojo are all in the middle of finding new hiding places to stash the-"

"No. I mean how long will it be until they reactivate?"

_Please. Ask me anything but that._

Ha. As if he were about to make it easy.

He stared at her expectantly, and Kimiko couldn't prevent herself from lightly shuddering.

Those eyes of his. . .red. . .the color of blood.

And when they were as intensely serious as they were now, she couldn't deny they held a certain charm that she'd never bothered to notice before. It played a big part in throwing her off, at any rate, but. . .

No one she knew ever had eyes like _that_.

"Uh. . .well, I um. . .don't know for certain. . . er, you see I (cough) wasn't actually there when Master Fung performed the ceremony with (ahem) the other monks, so-"

" Kimiko."

A warning. If she hadn't known the evil boy genius quite so well, she may have been intimidated.

"_How long_?"

The Xiaolin Dragon of Fire winced, than sighed in defeat.

_Oh well. I knew it would come to this, anyway._

"They'll reactivate in another 1,500 years."

His total lack of reaction only made her stomach sink further into itself.

_Pout!_, she screamed inside her head._ Throw a tantrum! Be mad! I don't care what you do. . .just don't leave me in the dark like this._

Yet he did none of those things. The minutes ticked by, and still he remained unreadable. When Kimiko felt she could take no more, she found the will to speak.

" Jack, I-"

"Come on. I'll take you home."

The dead vibe in his usually animated tone of voice did not comfort her one bit. Silently, without eye contact, she assented to his offer and slid out of the booth.

It was well past 10:00 PM when they exited the ice cream parlor.

There was a painful lack of conversation as they walked side by side down the street. Kimiko wanted to say something, _anything_, that would ease this new kind of tension between them, but could think of nothing. His silent demeanor put her on edge; it reminded her of the calm before the storm. That really, really didn't bode well. Especially when it was coming from Jack Spicer, of all people. Whatever was bothering him, clearly had to do with more than just the fact that the Shen Gong Wu were no longer active. . .

Luckily, she knew her way around this side of town like the back of her hand. And since he didn't seem to care where they were going, she lead him around in circles for a little while, hoping the bad energy would expel some of itself from his body. Alas, it only seemed to grow stronger, and as they approached a crosswalk for the third time, she knew she'd have to think of a different tactic, and soon.

Only, when she glanced to her left, she saw he was no longer beside her.

Kimiko stopped in her foot steps, and she pivoted to a sharper left. He was still there, a few paces behind, standing stark still with a bowed head, as if he were in the middle of a silent prayer.

One look at the slight tremble in his tightly clenched fists told the Xiaolin Dragon otherwise.

And it was the only warning she would receive for what came next.

"FUCK!"

Funny.

Even as he turned to punch the nearby wall, all she could think was how she'd never heard him curse before.

_The calm before the storm._

_Yeah._

He didn't quite there, either. He spat the same word for every successful hit his fist made against the same spot on the wall.

Over.

And over.

And over.

Until Kimiko decided it was time she intervened. No emotional pain, however strong, was worth self mutilation. Not even for Jack Spicer.

" Jack!"

Darting forward, she seized his arm with both hands, halting him in mid strike.

"Stop!"

Jack was in no mood to listen to anyone, much less heed their words of wisdom--the only sound he heard was the beating of his own pulse as it roared in his ears. He snarled and tried to shake her off, but Kimiko's resolve combined with her superior strength made his attempts futile.

He fought her until he couldn't fight anymore. Broken, defeated, and at his limit, Jack slouched heavily against the wall. Exhausted of spirit, he slid down to the ground, almost taking Kimiko with him in the process. She stumbled, but managed to maintain her standing balance. By chance, she happened to look up, and gasped.

Blood stained the concrete around the general area Jack had been pummeling.

Had he really been punching that hard? Without even realizing it. . .?

" Jack, you're bleeding!"

He grumbled something under his breath. Kimiko felt her motherly side take over as she released his arm and knelt down beside him.

"Here, let me see. . ."

He didn't try to stop her when she gently, but stiffly, removed his glove so she would be allowed a better look. Her nimble fingers curled around his wrist as she examined his cripple hand. His knuckles were badly bleeding, but nothing appeared broken or fractured. Still. . .

"You'll have to get this looked at very soon. The longer you wait, the greater the risk of infection will set in."

As expected, he did not respond. He did, however, look down at the hand she gingerly held in both her palms. He seemed abruptly mesmorized--by the sight of his own blood, or by the fact she was actually touching him, she would never know. She had more urgent matters to attend to, anyway.

It was clear that Jack was not going to mobilize into action any time soon. And if she wanted a clear conscious, it would be up to her to take care of this dilemma.

Kimiko exhaled slowly as she rocked back into her heels and began weighing out her options.

Taking him back to her dorm was an instant red light--not only would Jack's appearance raise speculation, it would also raise questions that neither of them were prepared to answer. She didn't have to be psychic to know that at the moment, privacy was a keen issue, and they would receive none of that at her sorority.

The nearest hospital was several miles away; much too far to walk. Sure, she could easily call a cab, but the general process seemed like more trouble than it was worth.

Her dad, on the other hand, happened to live much closer. She knew for a fact he wouldn't be home. It was a weekday, so no one expect the hired help would be around. And in the Tohomiko mansion, there was bound to be a spare first aid kit lying around somewhere. It would still be a decent walk, but nothing that wasn't manageable.

The former Xiaolin Dragon of Fire steeled herself, and without breaking her firm grip on his bloody fingers, she stood up and tugged on his arm.

"Come on. Papa doesn't live far from here. I'll take you to his place and clean you up."

He gaped up at her, and though his open mouth remained wordless, his eyes were screaming of internal conflicts.

_Oh, don't look at me like that_, she silently pleaded. _This isn't easy for me either, you know._

Thankfully, he must've reached a compromise, because after a moment longer, he used the support their laced fingers gave to rise to his feet. When he returned eye contact, he nodded.

With that double-edged sign of assent, Kimiko nodded back, than turned to begin the trek towards the Tohomiko estate.

Neither of them even thought to let go of the other's hand as they resumed their walk.


	6. Neutral

In the episode The Deep Freeze, Jack calls himself neutral. Obviously, he didn't mean it. -grins mysteriously- At the time.

Chapter VI - **Neutral**

Soundtrack / Inspiration:

Satellite - B.T.  
Loser - 3 Doors Down  
Scar Tissue - Red Hot Chili Peppers

_Still smells of the sun  
and the light that brings healing  
is burning my eyes  
and the dark seems so nice  
and I'm choking on blessings that I can receive  
I hide_

Satellite - B.T.

* * *

"Wait here while I go find the first aid kit." 

Her hands were lithe and comforting as she took him by the elbows and guided him to sit down on the toilet (only after making sure the seat was down first, of course). She left him there to begin her search, and as she looked, she idly wondered if his greatest fear was still being flushed. The memory brought a small, devious smile to her lips.

Until she caught sight of the red stains on her fingers.

_So _not_ the time or place, Kimiko._

She wasn't smiling by the time she returned, first aid kit and a small stool in hand. He looked up as she reentered, and Kimiko pretended not to notice his eyes watching her as she set the stool and kit down in front of him. She then proceeded to wash her hands, and beckoned him to do the same. He complied, albeit a bit sluggishly. The soap and water were dyed dark red from all the dried blood on his skin; at least the bleeding had slowed. He didn't even bother to dry his hands as he sat back down, and Kimiko followed suit.

Slipping into the role of nurse was easy. She'd played a similar part many times in the past, having lived with three very destructive boys for three long years. First aid skills were a plus, and often called for after a fight with the latest Heylin threat. Omi--being Omi--had once made a comment about how it was her duty as a female to tend to the wounds of her male team mates. As it just so happened, Raimundo was the one to nurse the bruises the small monk received from his well deserved beating for that one. But when all was said and done, she really didn't mind.

Which was probably why it didn't trouble her so much to be in her father's bathroom with Jack Spicer, sitting close enough that their knees were barely touching. This had been her idea, after all.

So she went straight to work, rummaging through the contents of the kit and pulling out the different supplies she thought she may need. Jack looked on silently as she tore open a plastic packet, and almost instantly his nostrils were filled with a sort of antibacterial smell that reminded him of hospitals. She produced something that looked like a baby wipe, and without hesitating, took his injured hand and held it in her lap. If it were any other time, he may have blushed.

When she locked eyes with him, his gaze held nothing.

Not even distrust.

"This might sting a little."

That said, she pressed the moist towelett against his skin. He hissed loudly, but didn't pull away. Not that she would have let him if he tried.

They sat that way, silence hovering around them as she tenderly cleansed his wounds of impurities. He flinched under the general discomfort, but he was so entranced by the way she looked--bent over his hand with a sort of concentrated expression on her face--that it didn't hurt quite as much as he thought it would.

He wanted to tell her how no one had ever done anything like this for him before. Ever. He couldn't explain why, but he wanted to let her know just how much it meant to him, too.

He could only think of one way to do that.

"You wanted to know why I don't wear my goggles anymore. . .?"

Kimiko stopped moving as she looked up at him, and not once did she blink.

"Yes."

Neither did he.

"I don't wear them anymore because they remind me of Wuya. And Wuya reminds me of my parents. The rest is history."

"Your. . .parents?"

"Mm."

Kimiko didn't understand how in the world the Heylin witch could possibly remind _anyone_ of their parents, but kept her musings to herself.

Most of them, anyway.

". . .is being reminded of your parents such a bad thing?" she asked quietly.

He shrugged, as if the subject was something to be easily brushed off.

"All depends on how you look at it, I guess."

"And how do _you_ look at it?"

Jack appeared to think about it for a moment. His finger touched his chin, something he often did when he was deep in thought. It was kind of cute.

Kind of.

"Well, whenever I think about my parents, I get sad, so. . .I'd have to say it's a bad thing."

That caught her attention. . .and it was a start. Now, where to go from there. . .?

Kimiko was at a loss. He was finally opening up to her, but how did she keep it that way without making him too uncomfortable? Something told her Jack Spicer was not used to having heart to heart conversations, especially with someone who had been an enemy for so many years, and technically, still was.

"W-why do you get sad?" she ventured unsurely.

That could work.

"Because."

Or not.

_Ok. Let's try something else._

". . .Jack. . .where exactly are your parents?"

"They're dead."

Well. That explained a lot.

". . .oh. I see. . ."

Nothing else was said for a long time. Then, in a small voice, Kimiko inquired:

"How did they die?"

He shrugged again.

She wished he'd stop doing that.

"Doesn't really matter. It's done and over with now. I was going to use the Sands of Time to bring them back to life, but since the Shen Gong Wu have all been deactivated for the next 1,500 years, that's no longer an option. Another plan goes to the scrap heap."

They both went silent. Jack, because he had nothing more to say. Kimiko, because she was still digesting his explanation with more than just a little disbelief.

He'd been looking for the Sands of Time, not to attempt resurrecting Chase Young or even Wuya, but to bring his dead parents back to life.

It just couldn't get anymore heartbreaking than that.

Apparently, he disagreed.

"I give up."

Kimiko's brow creased with unsaid angst.

"On what?"

"On everything. I keep trying to delude myself into thinking there's some deeper meaning to what I'm doing with my life, but it's so worthless it's laughable. Even though my parents barely knew I existed, and would never do for me what I was trying to do for them, I still wanted to bring them back, if only for a tiny peace of mind. Because now I have nothing, not even a ghost hag to contend with anymore. And I-"

His rant came to an abrupt stop when she placed a slender finger over his lips. Shocked by the gesture, he looked at her questioningly.

"You lay it on any thicker, Jack, and I just may start bawling my eyes out."

He blinked owlishly, and she removed her finger with a sigh and a weak smile.

"As Omi would say: 'do not despair. Every cloud has a sliver of lining.' Just because things look dismal now, doesn't mean they'll stay that way forever."

A dry chuckle.

"Well I can't think of anything that might happen anywhere at any time that would make life any less bothersome than it is now."

A delicate frown.

"Of course you can't, dummy; no one can predict the future. You have to wait it out and see what happens. That's the part called 'living life'."

He opened his mouth.

"And if you say 'why bother', I'll punch your lights out."

He closed it again.

". . .ok, than I won't. But I'm still thinking it."

Kimiko growled menacingly, yet didn't lash out. Physically.

"Come on, Spicer! Think! You are supposed to be a genius, right? There has to be _something_ other than robots that gets your blood pumping. . .!"

Jack raised a suggestive eyebrow, the corners of his mouth curling up. Immediately, she blushed and looked away.

"Ok, wrong choice of words. What I mean is. . .gah! Jack, help me out here would you!"

"Why would I do that, when it's so amusing to watch you squirm?"

She set her jaw in a stiff line, and the boy genius knew at once to stop. His smirk disappeared, and his gaze fell to the floor.

"What do you want me to say, Kimiko? That I should try being good for a change or something? Been there done that, and if you recall, it didn't quite work out."

"Yes, and as I _recall_, it didn't work out because you gave up. You tried to reform once, Jack. Can't you try again?"

"Not likely. I gave up for a reason. I knew I'd end up failing not only myself, but the Xiaolin Temple as well."

"There you go again, pretending to predict the future. You can't say for certain what would've happened, and you know it. Omi put a lot of faith in you; he was really hurt when you betrayed us and left."

At this, Jack had the decency to at least appear somewhat guilty.

"If. . .if I had known that chrome-dome believed in me so strongly, I _may_ have stuck with it a little longer, " he mumbled, "but it still wouldn't have changed anything. Don't you get it?"

He stood up then and held out his arms, as if presenting himself for display.

"I'm useless as a Heylin, _and_ as a Xiaolin. And the last time I checked, there's no gray matter in between. I'm not good. I'm not evil. I'm certainly not both. I'm just nothing."

Kimiko closed her eyes, and in a genteel sort of voice, said:

"I believe the word you're looking for is 'neutral'."

Jack started.

"What did you say. . .?"

"Someone who is not on either side of a conflict is neutral. Right?"

". . .I. . .I guess so."

"Than you're not _nothing_, you're just impartial. That's all."

Kimiko rested her hand on his forearm, guiding him back down to sit. He let her have her way with him, watching in vacuous silence as she reached for a roll of gauze and began wrapping his fingers.

"I never thought of it that way before."

She glanced up at him with a poignant glint in her eyes.

"There's lots of ways you've never thought of before. That's why it's pissing me off listening to you preach about the futility of life, when you've only just begun to scratch it's surface. Just because you've lost all hope doesn't mean you get to give up. I won't let you."

That last remark seemed to perk his attention.

And as if realizing what she just said, she concentrated on her nursing even more.

_Please don't say anything, please don't say anything, please don't say anything. . ._

"Kimiko?"

_Shoot._

"Yes Jack?"

"Why did you help me?"

Kimiko's actions flickered, but did not stop.

"Help you. . .?" she repeated back, as if she were just now realizing that's what she'd done.

Had she really not thought of it that way?

Or was she just as confused as he was?

"You didn't have to tell me the Shen Gong Wu were inactive. You said it yourself--you had no idea what I was planning. For all you knew, I was up to my old tricks again. It would've been a smart thing to let me keep searching, until the day I figured it out or just gave up. Don't you think?"

It made sense.

It made perfect sense, in fact. It was no more than he deserved; they both knew that. He'd only be getting his just reward for all the times he'd leeched off of their mercy (or more accurately, off of Omi's), only to turn around and stab them in the back again and again. He did, too. Every time.

But Kimiko had been battling with her reasons ever since the minute she had spontaneously suggested they go out for ice cream together. And she really, _really_ didn't want to let him in on what her heart was whispering in her ear.

_Because I felt sorry for you._

_Because I felt a backwards sense of guilt watching you struggle._

_Because somehow I knew it was more than just your usual scheming._

Saying these things out loud would only serve to complicate their situation further. That was the last thing she needed right now, yet she had to tell him something. His eyes were starting to drill holes into the top of her head.

"Because. . .I would want the same thing if I were in your position," she finally stated, and that was that.

"There. All done."

Jack pretended he didn't mind when she stood up and moved away from him. Robbed of her closeness, he distracted himself by flexing his fingers, watching the gauze stretch over his knuckles. She'd done a good job. A great job, in fact.

He'd have to say something to her. There was just no getting around it.

As Kimiko finished putting away the rest of the first aid, she looked up into the mirror and jumped slightly to see Jack standing directly behind her. She turned and gazed up at him, unintimidated, even though he loomed high above her. . .but then, he'd always been much taller than her; the only advantage he had as far as she was concerned. And it wasn't much.

"Yes?"

God, he felt so awkward. It reflected in the way he scratched the back of his neck, or how he refused to maintain eye contact.

"Uhh, I'm not too good at this sort of thing. . .but. . .erm. . ."

He stuck out his unbandaged hand. Kimiko blatantly stared at it.

"Thanks," he muttered, and suddenly her fascination shifted from his open palm to his face.

_No way._

_Jack Spicer is. . ._thanking_ me?_

He started fidgeting when she failed to react.

"What? Am I doing it wrong?" he asked after he couldn't take her staring any longer. Then he scowled and retracted his hand. "Oh I get it. You just don't want to hold my 'clammy little hand', right?"

Kimiko startled, realizing her rudeness and shook her head frantically.

"No no! That's not it at all! I. . .I just. . .I'm surprised. That's all."

"Hmph."

"You wanna try that again? . . .please?"

He squinted his crimson eyes at her, trying to decide if he should take her seriously this time or not. Then he sighed, and held out his hand again, looking for all the world like it pained him greatly just to do it.

"Thanks, Kimiko."

He sounded much more confident now. The Xiaolin Dragon of Fire found herself genuinely beaming when he tagged on her name, and this time, she didn't hesitate to reach out and grasp his hand in return.

"Your welcome, Jack."

Gradually, oh-so-stubbornly, a sincere smile appeared on his lips.

Minutes passed, and still they remained as they were, sporting matching grins; their fists clasped together in what was supposed to be a friendly gesture. Yet. . .the longer they stayed that way, the less 'friendly' it felt. And it may just have been her imagination, but Kimiko swore their faces were slowly gravitating closer. . .closer. . .

"Kimiko!"

Their noses were less than an inch apart when her Papa's voice echoed behind the bathroom door.

_Papa._

Kimiko gasped.

_Papa!_


	7. Red Handed

Anyone looking for Xiaolin Showdown screen caps? Click on my homepage in my bio. I warn you, I don't have too many yet, and most of 'em are of Jack and/or Kimiko (and Omi too, 'cause I just love that little cheeseball!), so don't be surprised or anything.

Oh, and FYI, I was in a hurry to get this out, so there may be more typos than usual.

Chapter VII - **Red Handed**

Soundtrack / Inspiration:

Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel  
99.9F - Suzanne Vega  
Iris - Goo Goo Dolls

_Pale as a candle  
And your face is hot  
And if I touch you  
I might get what you've got  
You seem to me  
Like a man  
On the verge of running  
99.9 Fahrenheit degrees_

99.9F - Suzanne Vega

* * *

_Papa!_

Kimiko's hands unconsciously squeezed into fists. . .

. . .only, she'd forgotten to let go of Jack's fingers in the process.

As expected, he let out a screech of pain. The sound instantly caught her attention, and before he could even finish, her palm crashed down onto his mouth, muffling the rest of his scream.

"Shhh!" she whispered too loudly to really be whispering anyway. Jack continued to whimper under her restraining clamp, and yelped as she yanked him across the tiled floor towards the shower stall. Even as he began to squirm in her grasp, she only tightened her grip as she flung open the opaque stall door and, unceremoniously, shoved him inside.

"Get in there and KEEP QUIET!" she hissed in that same not-really-a-whisper voice.

"Kimiko, are you in here. . .?"

The bathroom door opened just as the shower door slammed shut. Kimiko spun around so fast, she nearly toppled over.

"Papa! What a pleasant surprise!"

Her smile was so squeaky clean, it sparkled. Mr. Tohomiko blinked.

"Kimiko. . .I thought I heard something strange just now. . .," he trailed off.

"Must've imagined it Papa," Kimiko was quick to provide an answer. Then, as an after thought, "It wouldn't be the first time."

He blinked a few more times, then sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

"Ehehehe, yes, I suppose so. . .wait."

She froze.

_Dear god he knows Jack's here!_

_My life is over!_

"Kimiko, what is the first aid kit doing out? Did you hurt yourself?"

The Japanese girl stared at the kit as if seeing it for the first time. Then a light bulb went off inside her head.

"Oh! Yeah, clumsy me! I tripped and. . .uh. . .and scrapped my elbow! Yeah, and I needed a band-aid and I couldn't find one so I thought I'd air out the ol' first aid kit and wouldn't you know it there wasn't even a band-aid in there either! Some rip off, huh?"

Mr. Tohomiko blinked again.

". . .uh, yes, I suppose. Do you need me to find you one?"

"One what?"

"One band-aid. . .?"

"Oh. Oh no! No, that's fine Papa, I uh. . .I don't need one anymore. But thanks anyway!"

"I see. . .Kimiko, are you sure you're alright?"

She smiled harder.

"Of course Papa! Whatever makes you think I'm not alright?"

"You seem quite flustered. Your cheeks are bright red. . ."

_Figures. Stupid Jack._

"Well, I-I. . .I just wasn't expecting you home this early!"

And before he could even ask what she was doing there in the first place, Kimiko crossed the floor, took him by the shoulders, and began steering him out of the room.

"Anyways Papa, I've got to take a shower and all that girly stuff, you know how it is."

Just as she'd gotten him through the doorway, a loud sneeze resounded behind her.

"What was that?" Mr. Tohomiko asked, his face more alarmed then his voice.

"NOTHING! Bye Papa!"

With that, Kimiko slammed the door in her father's face. She leaned against it, listening for any movement on the other side. She relaxed when she heard footsteps walking away, and slumped against the wooden frame, sighing in great relief. It was only when she cautiously made sure her Papa really had gone that she actually returned to the shower stall.

The minute she opened the door, he was in her face, pointing a finger at her nose.

"_You are crazy woman!_ You could've shattered my one _good_ hand, and than I'd have to rely on someone to feed me for a month! And what's the big idea, cramming me into a small space like that! You _know_ I'm claustrophobic! Cripes!"

Unpleased, Kimiko pinched his cheek and pulled. Hard.

"You should be groveling at my feet right now! Do you have any idea what Papa would have done if he had discovered a man who was an accomplice of PandaBubba putting the moves on his daughter _in his own house!_"

. . .so what if she was exaggerating a little (_a lot_)? Jack didn't have to know that.

"Ow ow ow! Hey cut it out!" he slapped her hand away. "Wait. Putting the. . .what are you talking about?"

"You just tried to kiss me!"

"I did not!" he flat out denied, his expression somewhere between a scowl and a pout.

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

This went on for about 5 five minutes, until Jack tried a new tactic.

"Hey, princess, did ya ever stop to think maybe it was _you_ that tried to kiss _me_?"

It worked; she looked absolutely scandalized.

"I did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

Another 5 minutes went by before Jack threw up his hands.

"Forget this! I'm outta here."

He began marching towards the exit.

"Jack."

Her voice, now calm and collected, stopped him. He pivoted around.

"What?"

"I'll see you around."

His indignation instantly faded. In a rare moment of clarity, he knew exactly what she was really saying.

_From now on, we're friends._

And he hated himself for actually being excited by the prospect.

_Damn her and her womanly mood swings._

Taking a step back from the door, he voiced his hesitation.

"Kimiko. . .think about what you're saying. . ."

"I've already thought about it, Jack."

He stared at her long and hard, and instead of backing down, she only stared right back.

_Damn again._

"I'm not so sure you have," he desperately searched for something to say that would break her resolve, "I. . .I just tried to kiss you remember?"

"I remember."

His lips became a thin line.

"So I can't guarantee it won't happen again."

"That's what my knee is for."

He winced, and turned so he was facing her head on.

"Dammit Kimiko! We've been enemies for the past five years, and you think we can just suddenly be friends, just like that?"

"That's exactly what I think."

His jaw hit the floor, and it was all she could do to keep from giggling.

"People change, Jack," she tried to explain herself as best she could. Then she smiled and said, "Besides, since the Shen Gong Wu have all been deactivated, and you've now been deemed neutral, I don't see any reason why we can't get along."

"Oh how convenient Kimiko," his voice was full of sarcasm, and it made her smile disappear. "You're forgetting my plot for world domination. _That_ hasn't changed a bit. Guess that whole 'neutral' thing doesn't really work out then, huh?"

Her glower was enough to burn a hole right between his eyes.

Maybe that had been the wrong thing to say. . .

"Look, you don't wanna be my friend, ok Kimiko? There's a reason I don't have any," he validated, hoping she'd get the picture.

Her sudden movement caught him off guard, and before he knew it, she was standing before him and pointing a finger to his chest.

"_Don't_ tell me what I do and do not want, Jack Spicer," she ground out through gritted teeth. "The fact of the matter is, you _need_ human contact in your life, whether you want to admit it or not. If I have to force you to hang out with me, I will, and don't you think for one minute I couldn't do it. It's like I already told you, I'm not letting you give up. Not this time."

He gaped at her, allowing her words to slowly sink in.

So there was no escaping her, was there?

Well if that was true, he'd just have to make the best of the situation. Which he wasn't very good at doing, but he'd try. For her sake.

"You make it sound like I need to be saved or something," he mumbled, putting some space between their bodies. Her soft scent of lavender was starting to make him feel dizzy, and not in a bad way either.

"Maybe you do," she countered, with no venom in her tone, "I suppose time will tell."

"Right."

He started to move towards the door again, and just as he grabbed the door knob, she laid her hand on top of his, stopping him once more.

"Not that way. My dad might still be around. You'll have to go out the window."

He stuck out his chin and grumbled to keep his mind off of his increasing heart rate.

_Stupid girls and their intoxicating perfumes._

Actually getting through the window was more of a chore than it looked, since it was small and he had to practically squeeze through it. Plus, they were on the second floor, which meant he'd have to climb down the lattice. What a pain in the-

"Jack."

One leg in and one leg out, he ducked back around to give her an irritated glare.

"What is it now?"

"I'll see you around," she repeated her earlier farewell, grinning playfully. He huffed, and managed to muster a weak smile in return.

"Yeah. See ya around, Kimiko."


	8. Foreigner

I was going to make Keiko as Kimiko's room mate, but I wanted an outside perspective on Jack and Kim's "relationship" from someone who didn't know Jack, and though it's never shown, I'm under the assumption Kimiko's already told Keiko about Jack. So I created Suzume, the only OC in the whole story, and she only shows up once. I think. Maybe.

Chapter VIII - **Foreigner**

Soundtrack / Inspiration:

Only Happy When It Rains - Garbage  
Time Will Tell - Utada Hikaru  
Bent - Matchbox 20

_If I couldn't sleep could you sleep  
Could you paint me better off  
Could you sympathize with my needs  
I know you think I need a lot  
_

Bent - Matchbox 20

* * *

She was beginning to understand what he meant when he said there was a reason he didn't have any friends. 

Forming a friendship with the boy genius had been awkward at first (not that she'd expected anything else). At a slow but sure pace, she was learning things about him; things she never would have learned otherwise.

He wasn't exactly talkative, but he wasn't quiet either. By any means.

He was serious at times, but dopey at others. Oblivious, too.

He didn't whine like he used to, but he still complained. A lot.

Plainly put, he was one big walking contradiction.

Yet it was nothing she couldn't--wouldn't--handle. Anytime she felt like throwing in the towel, the image of his crest fallen expression as he told her about his dead parents would pop into her head, and she'd renew her vigor.

Jack Spicer had feelings just like everyone else. And he was alone now; probably more alone than he'd ever been in his entire life time. True, he had other relatives (she'd had the pleasure of meeting his cousin Megan once), but he seldom talked about his extended family, and it was painfully obvious he'd never been very close to any of them. Hell, he'd even openly admitted to the distance between himself and the two people he'd been so desperate to resurrect. Desperate, because feeling alone, and actually _being_ alone were two different things. With his meager ties of kinship gone, and no other emotional connections to speak of. . .

Was it any wonder he'd changed so much?

The only thing the Japanese girl marveled at was how he hadn't driven himself crazy yet. This life style of constant solitude he lead was _not_ healthy.

Period.

He needed _someone_ to be his friend, someone who might teach him how to be a decent human being. . .

Since she was currently the only person who seemed to give a damn about his well being, she would do her best to do just that.

He at least deserved that much.

* * *

"Argh!" 

Kimiko growled at herself, nearly snapping her pencil in two. It was a sunny day outside, and the afternoon rays shone through the window onto her desk top, which was currently cluttered with enough paper to make an entire forest. She had an exam approaching, and even though she already knew most of the material, she was still having a hard time concentrating.

Could it have something to do with the fact that in a half an hour, she was supposed to meet up with Jack for a movie?

Nah. Whatever gave anyone that idea?

Not like it was a date or anything of that nature. . .really. . .

Kimiko was graciously saved from her own thoughts by a knock at the door. She looked up, and her room mate Suzume popped her head in.

"Hey Kim. Am I interrupting?"

The Dragon of Fire scooted back in her chair.

"Not at all Suzu."

"Good."

Suzume opened the door wider to reveal a teapot in one hand, and a cup in the other.

"Thought you might need a little refresher," she explained as she walked in and stood next to her seated friend. Expertly, she poured a cup of warm green tea and held it out to Kimiko, who graciously accepted the offered beverage with a nod and a smile.

"Thanks so much Suzu!"

"No problem," the other Japanese girl smiled back, setting the teapot down on the desk, next to a stack of books. "I'm not really sure why you're studying so hard. The test is still a few weeks away."

Kimiko grinned.

"Can't help it," she replied. "Anyway, I'm not like you; I can't cram the night before and manage to pull off a decent grade."

Suzume pouted. It was then she chose to reveal the _real_ reason for interrupting her companion's study session.

"Oh, by the way Kimiko, were you expecting anyone?" Suzu asked in an airy tone of voice.

Too airy.

_. . .what's this now?_

"No. Why?"

"Because you have a visitor. A _male_ visitor."

Kimiko raised a finely arched eyebrow.

"Who is it? Someone from class?" she inquired, blowing softly on the simmering liquid in her tea cup before lifting it to her lips.

"No, I've never seen him before. He said his name was Jack Spicer, and started saying something else about being a genius? Not sure what that was all about, but oh well."

_Oh no._

Unintentionally, the statement made Kimiko sip her tea too fast, and since she was too well mannered to spit it back out, her cheeks bulged comically. Her mouth felt like it was on fire by the time she remembered how to swallow.

_He's early! And what's he doing at my dorm? I told him to meet me at the campus front!_

Suzume smirked coyly.

"So you _do_ know him," she went on in a sing-song tone of voice, "I wasn't sure, considering he's not your usual type, but I guess you're trying to broaden your horizons. Aside from his fashion taste, he doesn't seem like a bad catch. Nice work Kim. I approve!"

_This isn't happening. . ._

"No, Suzu, you've got the wrong impression. . .," Kimiko began, setting her tea down.

"Do I?"

"Yes, you see, he's. . .an old friend of mine. He's visiting from out of the country right now, and I'm. . .showing him around town," the former Xiaolin monk tried to articulate a suitable white lie, and was failing. Miserably, at that.

"Oh, so he _is_ a foreigner."

Kimiko stared, eyes wide and owlish.

"Couldn't you tell?"

"Well sure, but he spoke such fluent Japanese, I wondered if maybe he'd been living here for a while, or something like that. But if he's a foreigner, that makes it even better!"

Kimiko grimaced.

"No, really Suzu, there's nothing going on between me and Jack. Really."

"Ok, if you say so."

"I say so."

Kimiko stood up and grabbed her purse. Digging through it, she produced a compact mirror, did a quick hair and make up check (she had to be presentable if she was going out in public after all), then stuffed it back in. Straightening her outfit, she glanced at the messy state of her room--she had no choice, she'd have to clean up when she came back.

She bid Suzume a quick farewell and turned to leave. . .

"You won't mind if I ask for his number, then?"

_WHAT?_

With one hand on the door knob, Kimiko whipped back around.

"Suzume! You can't possibly tell me you're interested in that. . .that. . .freak of nature!"

Her friend was so flustered, she didn't notice the deviant gleam in Suzu's eye as she shrugged nonchalantly.

"Sure, why not? I like him. He's a bit strange, but than again, he's not from around here, so I can let it slide. I wouldn't mind getting to know him. . .but only if it's ok with _you_ Kimiko."

Suzume put on her best innocent smile. She was surprised. Usually, Kimiko had no trouble seeing through her disguise, but this Jack Spicer fellow seemed to get under Kim's skin in ways she'd never witnessed before. It was cute, and very, _very_ amusing.

Currently, her face was turning all kinds of shades, from green to blue to red.

"Why would I. . .there's nothing. . .he and I aren't. . .GAH!"

Kimiko felt sick. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, as if she had a great migraine just begging to be eased.

How could she explain this without giving too much away. . .?

"Listen, Suzu, trust me when I say you want nothing to do with that snake. _Believe me_."

"Oh? If he's a snake, than why are you friends with him?"

_Damned nosy room mates!_

"Because I. . .I'm just making sure he doesn't cause any trouble while he's here, that's all!"

"Uh huh."

"It's true! As soon as his visit to Tokyo is over, he's outta my hair!"

"But if your goal is to make sure he doesn't 'cause any trouble', wouldn't you have to follow him out of the country to keep that promise?"

Kimiko breathed a despairing sigh and slumped forward, knowing she'd been defeated. She turned back and opened the door.

"I'm leaving now, Suzume."

Said girl smiled brightly and waved.

"Ok, see ya Kim. Tell Jack I said bye!"

She saw Kimiko cringe just before the door slammed behind her. Suzume waited a few minutes (just to be sure), than busted up laughing.

_Oh Kim, you're about as transparent as plastic wrap! 'I have a thing for Jack Spicer' might as well be tattooed to your forehead, 'cause believe me, the feeling's mutual. _

_Hmm, I'm sure if the girls and I started a bet to see when you two get together, I'd have the advantage. . ._

_

* * *

_

"What took you?" was Jack's blunt greeting as she exited her room.

Kimiko said nothing; her eyes were downcast, and she didn't even glance up at him as she calmly marched down the hallway. Furrowing his brow, Jack silently followed, unaware he was walking next to ticking time bomb.

It was only after they had reached a safe distance away from the campus that she finally went off.

_WHOMP._

"OWWW!"

Jack inexplicably found himself almost nose to nose with the pavement, cradling the back of his head where a very large, very angry bump had emerged. Gnarling curse words, he snapped up to glare daggers at the cause of his pain.

"What the HELL was that for!" he spat irascibly.

"For being a nuisance!" Kimiko spat back, her hand still poised near the area where her fist connected with his skull, "because of you I'll be the talk of the sorority by sundown!"

"What did _I_ do?"

_You exist! That's what you did!_

"Nothing. Nevermind."

He looked nothing short of disgusted, muttering something that sounded like 'women' under his breath. Kimiko seriously thought about wailing on him again, then decided it just wasn't worth the effort.

"Let's go," she said, changing the subject, "we'll miss the previews."

Jack glared at her a moment longer, then surprisingly, he tilted his head to the side and grinned.

"FYI," he said, "you may want to take note in the future that the walls of your dorm are very. . ._thin_."

Kimiko's eyes flicked up to his own.

"Pardon?"

_Is he saying what I think he's saying?_

"Nothing. Nevermind," he repeated her earlier words, making her scowl. Jack didn't give her a chance to reply, however, as he broke into a brisk walk, and Kimiko had to run to catch up with him.

They walked in silence for a while, until she eventually decided to ask him something she was curious about.

"So when and where did you learn to speak Japanese so well?"

Unfazed by the question, Jack shrugged.

"I taught myself before I came here."

"How long did it take you?"

"Eh, I'd say. . .a week? Two tops."

". . .you mean to tell me you learned the entire Japanese language in two week?"

"Sure. Wasn't as hard as everyone said it would be."

Kimiko stopped walking and gawked at him like he'd just grown two heads.

"Are you human?"

Jack halted, turned, and flashed her a brilliant, awfully familiar smile.

"No. I'm a genius!"

She blinked a few times, then slapped her palm against her forehead.

"Ugh."

_And everyone at school's going to think I'm dating this guy? Beautiful. _

_I'll have to pick up a paper bag to put over my head on the way home._


	9. Chivalry

I'm stealing Raimundo's line from the Katnappe episode and giving it to Jack. I'm sure you'll be able to spot it. ;) Once again, to all the readers, and especially the reviewers--you guys rock! Your feedback is always welcome! This chapter's short, but I think the next one will make up for it. The line break isn't working either. Meh, oh well, I'll make my own.

Chapter IX - **Chivalry**

Soundtrack / Inspiration:

A Sort of Fairytale - Tori Amos  
Insensible - Mandalay  
Wonderwall - Oasis

_You invited me in  
As if it's nothing  
We tread on old ground  
As if it's nothing now_

Insensible - Mandalay

----------------

It was drizzling outside by the time the movie was over.

People began to file out of the theater, and Kimiko and Jack, after seeing the weather predicament, made a beeline for the nearest convenient store to make a quick purchase: an umbrella, at Jack's request (complaint), lest his precious hair be ruined.

Just one.

Kimiko tried not to think about the implications of having to squeeze under an umbrella with her foe-turned-friend. Luckily, Jack seemed more concerned with keeping dry then anything else at the moment. As long as he didn't start leering at her, everything would be fine.

Anyone who happened to glance in their direction might mistake them for a couple. Unless they really looked and listened, then they might think otherwise.

"I can't believe you made me sit through that pile of-hey!"

Jack's griping came to an abrupt halt as the umbrella was suddenly yanked from his grasp, subjecting him to the onslaught of increasing rain.

"My hair!"

He tried to take refuge again, but Kimiko refused him. Honestly, she was doing it out of nothing more than spite--her own little way of getting back at him for dozing off half way through the movie and using her shoulder as a temporary pillow. The man had no shame.

"You promise to stop acting like a baby?" she goaded, taunting him with the exchange for shelter. He gave in instantly.

"Yes yes!"

Satisfied, she handed the umbrella back to him and watched in silent amusement as he tenderly patted his damp locks. He was such a prima donna sometimes, though she had to admit, he wasn't nearly as bad as he used to be. That wasn't what irked her, anyway. Jack. . .had a nasty habit of repeating himself; of not learning from his past mistakes. She often had to remind him that he was no longer an evil boy genius ("But 'neutral boy genius' doesn't sound as cool!"), because he still slipped up every now and then. Half the time, she didn't know whether to laugh or weep for humanity.

It went without saying that the idea of him possibly betraying her was always there, floating in the back of her mind. And if he ever did, well. . .she'd just have to make sure he'd regret it. Dearly.

"I still didn't like the movie though," he drawled on, after he was done fussing with his do.

"Why not?" she asked out of genuine curiosity. Jack gave her a look like it should've been more than a little obvious.

"C'mon, Kimiko. It was a total chick flick, and you know it."

"So? You could've at least _tried_ to enjoy it," she replied with a hint of incense. Then, in a more mischievous tone, "you know, if you were smart, you'd learn a thing or two on how to really treat a girl."

There was a short pause, in which he scrounged for something clever to say.

"I'm holding the umbrella for you, aren't I?" was all he could seem to come up with.

Kimiko winced. Why didn't that kind of response surprise her?

"Hate to burst your bubble Jack, but I don't think that quite counts as chivalry. At least, not in my books."

"Tch. Chivalry's dead, haven't you heard?"

An image of Clay flashed behind Kimiko's eyes, and she shook her head, a mysterious grin playing at her lips.

"Not dead, just. . .misunderstood."

Jack's expression of clueless incredulity was almost enough to make her giggle.

"'Misunderstood?' I'm not following. Care to enlighten me?"

She thought about it for a moment longer, and found she could not form words to describe the concept in her brain. So she tilted her head towards him, and her smile turned into something akin to an apology.

"Well, I guess I'm not really sure how to explain it."

He scoffed and looked ahead. If Kimiko didn't know any better, she could've sworn he was. . .disappointed.

"Typical," he began cynically, "girls are all the same, making up stuff and complicating men's lives for no good reason."

The look on her face after that comment immediately told him to switch topics. Now.

"I thought girls these days didn't _like_ to be treated helpless," the wayward ex-Heylin (emphasis on _ex_) continued, enouncing the word 'like' for reasons not lost on Kimiko, "You know, 'cause of the whole 'equal treatment' thing."

"You're missing the point Jack," she didn't hesitate in correcting him. "No girl's going to find a guy who cower's from his own shadow desirable, even if she _can_ take care of herself."

He fixed her with a glare that could've been playful, if he'd just put the effort into it. Maybe he didn't know how. . .that's ok. Someday, she would teach him.

"You implying something, Tohomiko?"

"Maybe. Wanna find out?"

Jack's eyebrow's shot up, and this time Kimiko did giggle. She couldn't help it anymore. Spending time with the boy genius not only allowed her insight into his character, but little by little, it also made his company. . .tolerable. She wouldn't admit to anything more than that. Not yet.

"No thanks. I've got better things to do than waste time with a Xiaolin Loser."

Kimiko snorted, and she felt her fondness of him wane by a few inches.

_Fat head_.

"I'll believe that when I see it."

"Believe it. I'm outta here."

They had reached a crossroads by that time, which in all respects, was a perfect place to say their farewells. Even so, Kimiko couldn't help but feel her stomach sink a little at parting ways so soon. Just when things were getting interesting, too. . .

"I'll see you later, then."

She turned, ready to leave without the luxury of a canopy over her head. Jack would certainly want to keep it with him, to protect his vanity. . .or what little he had.

A demure tap on her shoulder requested her attention. She turned back around, and was surprised to find him holding the handle out to her. With a start, she gazed up at him questioningly.

"What are you doing?" was all she could think to ask.

There was a trace of a grin touching the corners of his mouth.

"Being chivalrous."

Kimiko stared at him blankly, unable to make heads or tails of this gesture. Was he being serious, or just toying with her? It wouldn't have been the first time, nor would it be the last, she was sure. That was when her fists came in handy (did that count as a pun?) the most.

"If you really wanted to be chivalrous, you'd walk me all the way home," she replied, not really thinking about what she was saying, and certainly not expecting him to agree.

"Fine."

That was it. Just like that.

It was. . .surprising. She'd thought for sure he'd put up some kind of fight, since walking her home would mean he'd be going out of his way for someone other than himself. Yet he'd conceded almost immediately, without any protest.

Maybe. . .he was learning?

The walk back to her place was in silence. It felt awkward at first, but halfway through, they happened to glance at each other at the same time, and despite her instincts to turn away, Kimiko forced herself to look him in the eye and smile. Jack was instantly disarmed, and even smiled back.

He _was_ learning.

They reached the dorm building not long after that. She thought it best to leave him at the front entrance, simply because she didn't feel like having anyone ask her who her new friend was (_wink wink_,_ nudge nudge_). She still had her dignity, dammit.

She stopped at the door step, and he haulted right next to her. He moved to hand her the umbrella again--she'd been the one to pay for it, after all. However, instead of accepting it, she shook her head and pushed it back towards him.

"Keep it. Think of it as a thank you for being a gentleman."

She ignored the stunned look on his face and proceeded to open the door.

"Hold on!"

She looked back, eyebrow already arched in question.

"I know a better way you could thank me."

Quite unconsciously, Kimiko pursed her lips.

_'Scuse me?_

"Oh? And just how much of a thank you do you expect to receive _exactly_, hmm?"

Her voice was painted in suspicion. For a moment, he looked confused.

"Uh, I. . .," then realization dawned on his face. "Oh. . .oh no! No no no, that's not what I meant!"

"Uh huh."

"No really! I only meant I'd like you to go to a club with me tomorrow night."

_A club?_

Jack grinned wolfishly.

"Unless, you'd rather. . .?"

Her mouth twitched.

"Don't even, Spicer. What kind of club are we talking about here?"

"Hehehe, hey you said it, not me, and you'll see. I'll pick you up at 8. Be ready, or I'll leave without you. I hate waiting."

"Hey! I haven't even said I'd go with you yet!"

"You got anything better to do?"

_No._

Saying that aloud, though, would be the same thing as admitting defeat. And the day she admitted defeat to Jack Spicer was the day hell froze over.

"Any fore warnings on attire?" she sighed, ignoring his inquisition. Jack's smirk in reply made her feel very, very uneasy.

"Just. . .wear black. Lots of black."

Kimiko just knew she was going to regret this.


	10. Industrial

I was scanning through Devil Lily's chapters the other day, brushing up on the events in the story thus far, and I was shocked at what I saw. My grammar has gotten very sloppy! I mean, to be perfectly honest, it wasn't squeaky clean to begin with, but. . .damn! I even forgot to use spell check on the first few chapters, which to me is just inexcusable. I've gotten lazy, I have. So I plan to go back and do some editing. I _may_ request a beta in the future (beta reading is still something that's fairly new to me, sadly), but I'm still mulling it over. Also, I've seen some fics floating around featuring chain-smoking!Jack. Apparently, I'm not the only one who thinks he could be a smoker. ;) And I believe someone asked if Jack still wears his eyeliner? The answer is: yes! The only thing I took away were his goggles, which I already felt bad for doing but it had to be done for the sake of story. That's my excuse, anyway.

This chapter seems a bit choppy in some places. Eh, if it bothers me that much I'll edit it along with all the others later.

Chapter X - **Industrial**

Sour Girl - Stone Temple Pilots  
Sunglasses at Night - Corey Hart  
Poison - Groove Coverage

_She turned away, what was she looking at?  
She was a sour girl the day that she met me  
Hey, what are you looking at?  
She was a happy girl the day that she left me_

Sour Girl - Stone Temple Pilots

* * *

Classes let out thirty minutes ahead of schedule that day due to a faculty function that the student body, as a whole, could not have cared less about, Kimiko included. It was only three in the afternoon when she strolled out into the midday sun, her classmates billowing out around her. She surveyed the mundane scene with absent minded interest as she contemplated where to go from there. She had a previous engagement later that night, yes, but if she went straight to her dorm now, Suzume would undoubtedly rope her into confessing what her plans were and who they were with. Kimiko was not in the mood to deal with her room mate's antics at that particular moment. Plus, she still had not picked out an outfit to wear! As vast as her wardrobe was, the Japanese trend-setter did not have many black garments, and none that she did own seemed appropriate for the occasion in mind. Logically, she could either make do with what she had, or she could take the only other option left available. 

Kimiko tipped her chin up and tented her hand over her squinting eyes to better view the sky. Then she smiled and reached into her purse for her cell phone.

The number she dialed took three rings before the voice of a very grumpy Jack Spicer answered. His bad funk faded as soon as he understood who he was talking to, and he asked her what she wanted in the most friendliest tone she had ever heard him use. Which changed instantly when she informed him she was taking him shopping, and that if he didn't pick her up in 30 minutes, there would be hell to pay.

The next thing either of them knew, Kimiko was dragging Jack around from mall to mall, dashing in and out of various stores, trying on dark colored apparel, and generally behaving like a typical girl on shopping spree. The ex-Heylin watched in unveiled boredom as she carefully chose each and every accessory to her liking (although, he noted sourly that she never asked for his opinion on anything. . .).

When all was said and done--and paid for--Kimiko had decided on a "classic" look: a long skirt with a slit up the mid-thigh; a corset-styled top; stiletto heeled boots that hugged just below her knees, and fishnets galore. Donning a few pieces of jewelry, then some eyeliner here and some black lipstick there, all that remained was her hair. After many attempted styles failed to impress her, she opted to leave it down, something she didn't do often. It was something few people rarely got to see, and she wondered if Jack would mention anything when he saw her.

However, judging from his expression as she sauntered into his view, she realized her hair held the _least_ of his attention. His eyes trailed over her appearance in slow awe, relishing the kind of scrutiny that usually made her livid. Yet, this time, she found herself twirling around for him like a model displaying the latest fashion trend.

"What do you think?" she inquired in a playfully curious tone.

Jack appeared to come to his senses at the sound of her voice, prompting him to blush and look away. He coughed before muttering, "You look good." And watching the way he seemed to swallow an invisible lump in his throat, Kimiko could easily take that as an understatement of what he _really_ thought.

The half hour that it took to travel to their destination was spent in companionable silence. Kimiko had tried prodding Jack for information one last time, and the result had been the same as her previous attempts--negative. So she sat back in his jet car and enjoyed the ride, anticipating the night ahead with little expectations.

The moment they arrived, Kimiko immediately knew she wouldn't like the place. Even just standing outside, waiting to be let inside, gave her an uneasy feeling. Most of the people in line with them looked like they had just walked out of a bondage store rather than their own houses. She had never seen so much vinyl at one time, not even in the shops she'd visited to put together her own outfit. She was suddenly glad that Jack had never been into leather.

Stepping through the entrance doors did absolutely nothing to help her mood, as they were immediately greeted with a blast of hot air that reeked of cigarettes and vodka. She could vaguely make out a bar in the left corner, which didn't surprise her in a club that was 18 and over. Jack made no move towards it, which she was both impressed and grateful for. She half expected him to pull out a fake ID and try to pass himself off as 21. Instead, he seemed more interested in carting her through the festivities than with joining in on the fun.

The area in general wasn't exactly spacious, considering how many people were trying to cram together. Music unlike any she had ever heard before was booming all around them, and she couldn't move an inch without brushing against another body. It wasn't long before she found herself latching onto Jack's side and trying hard to ignore the leers of other men who were passing by more and more frequently. He had glanced down at her questioningly for a moment, but when she refused to meet his gaze, went back to leading her around in aimless circles.

Kimiko wanted to believe the only reason she was standing so close to Jack was simply because of the unfamiliar atmosphere she was in. Strange surroundings filled with strange people were bound to make one feel unsettled, so it was only natural that she would want to stick with the one person she was most conversant with. That was all it was, basically. At least, that's she told herself.

Time went on without her, and with it came a haze over her brain. The strobe lights flickered spontaneously, highlighting a sea of black shrouded people dancing (could that even be called dancing?) in the middle of the room. The longer she stared, the more she felt like she was underwater--movement slowed down, and the noise (or was that still the music?) grew muffled. She felt as though she were sinking; like she was drowning.

A soft touch on her shoulder was what eventually brought Kimiko back to the surface. Her eyelids fluttered as she looked up at the man standing next to her.

That's right. The only reason she was even there was because of Jack.

She watched him lean down so that his lips hovered just above her ear. His breath tickled her flesh when he spoke to her above the din.

"You okay?"

The concern behind his words would have been touching if she were feeling a bit more coherent. Kimiko closed her eyes, trying harder to dispel her daze, and tilted her head towards him in kind. Practically cheek-to-cheek, she didn't notice him shiver at their close proximity when she responded.

"I think we should sit down."

She felt him nod. His touch moved down her shoulder to her upper arm, where he lightly gripped her bicep and tugged.

They sat against a nearby wall at a table made for two. He had pulled the chair out for her before sitting down himself. Had that been a conscious effort to be a gentleman? If only she'd been more aware of herself enough to ask!

"Are you alright?" he repeated, gazing at her from across the small table top. Breathing deeply, Kimiko nodded once.

"I'll be fine," she affirmed, then wrinkled her nose and added, "The smell is driving me crazy."

Jack blinked, sniffing at the air around them. After a minute he realized she must have been talking about the smoke. This wasn't a smoke-free environment, after all.

"Really? I didn't notice it," he said, sounding sheepish. Actually, he _had_ noticed, but it never occurred to him to say anything before now. Why would he need to? Besides, bringing it up would only lead to things he wasn't certain he was ready to confess, for the simple fact that he did not desire a reprimanding from the beautiful sitting across from him.

"Jack, you don't smoke do you?"

He sighed.

He should have known. Kimiko was a smart girl, after all, and she knew him far too well for his own liking.

". . .not anymore."

"Good. Then I won't have to kick your ass."

His eyebrows dropped, and he looked like he wanted to say something snippy in reply, but wisely kept his lips sealed. It was just another one of those battles he could not win. He was more than used to that by now.

Moments passed before he worked up the courage to state what was on his mind.

"You look unhappy."

The Japanese girl stared at him from across the small space between them. Her lips parted, then closed, then parted once more.

"I guess I just don't understand what it is about this life style that you find so appealing."

Clear as crystal. He would have preferred it if she had been less sure of what she was saying.

"I don't _expect_ you to understand," he replied, "and besides, it's not something I could explain anyway. It's my thing, and that's all there is too it."

She tilted her head to the side.

"You can't honestly tell me you enjoy this droning atmosphere? You weren't even dancing!" Her voice grew high and incredulous, and probably would have hurt his ears had they not been surrounded by so much noise. Eyes shut, he huffed and snootily stuck his nose in the air.

"I don't dance. I observe."

Kimiko rolled her eyes at his attitude. That was so like him.

"Oooh, I see. In other words, you're the creepy guy who sits in the corner all night and watches everybody else have fun, right?"

"Exactly. . .hey!"

Kimiko shook her head.

"I don't know if I can stand much more of this."

"Oh come on! You're not even trying to enjoy yourself."

That earned him another roll of her eyes.

"News flash, Jack, there's a reason for that. Believe me, when I went through my 'goth stage', I tried blending in with this crowd, but my heart wasn't in it. I hated it then, and I still hate it now. The gothic fashion can be very stylish, but I'll never be into the scene."

". . .you. . .you've been through a goth stage?"

"Sure."

"Since when?"

"Wouldn't you like to know."

"Yes, I would. It was always hard to miss your ever changing style way back when, but I never _once_ saw you go goth."

She scoffed, and to Jack's ears, it did not sound like the Kimiko he knew. It sounded too bitter. Too nostalgic.

"Surprised? I'm not. I suppose you look at me like everyone else does. . . as a naive little daddy's girl. Or in your case, a goody-goody Xiaolin Loser."

The bitterness seeped into her words, and the ex-Heylin was so distracted by it that he could not think of anything in reply.

"I. . .I guess I. . ." he stammered, his mind racing to correct the mistake he hadn't even realized he had made. He wanted the understanding back in her voice. He wanted the softness in her gaze to return. He wanted her to smile at him the way she did when they had walked through the rain together. If someone had asked, he would not be able to say exactly when her friendship had become so important to him. All he knew was that suddenly--without any previous thoughts on the matter--he _wanted_ her to be a part of his life. He did not want to imagine being without her. Ever.

But Kimiko was caught in a net of old grudges, and for that suspension in time, she saw him as she used to: as a pathetic mama's boy with an over inflated ego and a god complex. The sympathy she had acquired up until then felt far away and undeserving. All she could remember was why she had hated him so much when they had been enemies. She'd temporarily forgotten what had compelled her to pursue a friendship with this. . ._boy_.

"You don't know me half as well as you think you do, Jack Spicer," she went on, not giving him the chance to compose himself, "I'm not as pure and innocent as I seem."

Jack looked offended.

"I never said you were."

Kimiko did not care.

"You didn't have to. It was written all over your face. But hey, don't worry about it. I get that kind of thing a lot, so I'm used to it."

The music, the dancing, the ashy smell and the atmosphere seemed to surround her at once. It felt suffocating, and without much thought about Jack, she instinctively rose out of her chair and began to move away.

His hand was on her arm before she even made it two steps.

"Hey! Where are you going?"

She glared back at him, irritation setting in her hues.

"I'm leaving."

"You can't."

She violently shrugged him off.

"Watch me!"

He tried to grab her again, but she cleverly evaded and slipped into the wake of flailing bodies where he lost sight of her. Kimiko wasted no time, weaving in and out of the openings she could find, until she reached the edge of the dance floor. Feeling significantly less caged, she scanned the walls for an escape route.

_Sorry Jack, but this just isn't working out. Maybe. . .we can do something else. . .some other time. . . _

Even as she thought it, she knew she wouldn't see him again after this. But at the moment, she just couldn't find it in herself to care that much.

_Them's the breaks._

Kimiko made haste as soon as she spotted a door marked with bright green letters, spelling 'EXIT'. She easily pushed it open and the cool, night air that hit her skin made her pause and bask in the refreshing breeze.

Slightly rejuvenated, she took a step forward and looked back, scanning the black scenery for a tall head of spiky red hair that may be following. . .

. . .and collided with another body matching that very description.

"Yo. Going somewhere?"

How he had gotten out there so fast was something she would never figured out. She did her best to try and mask her surprise as she snapped her chin up and glowered at him in a way that she hoped was menacing. Unfortunately, he was already wearing a glower of his own, which did not falter under her intimidation.

Oh well. _It's his funeral_.

"Move," she demanded.

"No," he defied.

"Move!"

"No!"

Growling, Kimiko irrationally reached out and shoved him aside. He tumbled to the ground with a grunt, his face contorted in dull pain. A distant part of her felt guilty, and she forced it to remain distant.

"I said _move_! I'm leaving!"

As she began stalking away, she heard him scramble to his feet and trail after her.

"Wait! Kimiko. . .come on, wait will ya!"

She almost growled again.

_Dammit. What has gotten into him? He just won't leave well enough alone!_

As soon as he caught up to her, he stepped into her frontal view, bodily blocking her path. Then, seizing her by the shoulders, he shook her with a gentle force she never thought him capable of.

"_Will you just stop for a minute and listen to me_?!"

The phrase itself was not enough to stun her, but the drive behind it, and the surprising strength in his hands did manage to spark her interest. So she wordlessly agreed, and stopped trying to march away.

What could he possibly have to say that was so damn important, anyway?

And. . .why did that look he was giving her make her stomach flutter instead of clinch?

"What is it? I would think you'd be glad to have me out of your hair," she tried to make light of his gaze with a snarky remark. Instead, her plan backfired, as his eyes only grew more intense, and much to her horror, she felt a blush begin to rise up on her cheeks. If he noticed, he didn't show it. And after a moment, he bowed his head, releasing her from the hypnosis.

"I'm sorry, ok?" he started slowly, quietly, "I shouldn't have judged you so. . .loosely."

In a snap, all of Kimiko's anger died, leaving hangdog in its place. His eyes were trained on the ground beneath his shoes, so he did not see the turmoil pass across her expression, even if only for the briefest of moments.

_I don't know what came over me_, she silently rebuked herself. _I got worked up over nothing. Really, I thought I had learned a little more self control than that._

She focused on his anxious brow. She wasn't certain what had possessed Jack to chase her down and apologize, but she was glad that he did, because that very act was a signal. It meant she was not wasting her time on him--no matter how exiguous the results seemed, they were still there and improving each day. If she had went ahead with her gut instinct and left him alone again, she would have not only failed Jack, but herself as well.

Kimiko Tohomiko had decided a long time ago that she was _not_ a quitter. This was no exception to that rule.

Jack's head popped up when her palm abruptly clapped him on the shoulder. The smile he had desperately needed to see was glowing on her lips, and his panic melted in its presence.

"Aw, it's ok Jack," she said in that warm tone he'd grown secretly fond of, "I'm sorry too. I've made plenty of judgements about you in the past that weren't true, so let's forgive and forget and just call it even, 'kay?"

His eyebrow twitched. He _could_ point out that he had only misjudged her once (maybe twice). If she had already misjudged him more times than that, how could they be considered even?

"Sure, why not?" he heard himself comply, albeit with a hint of hesitation he was sure she could hear. If she did, she entirely ignored it and smothered her fists together in mock celebration.

"Good! Now, if you'll kindly excuse me. . ."

She moved to side step him, and found her movement hindered by his hands, which had yet to remove themselves from her shoulders.

"I know you're not still thinking about leaving."

Kimiko blanched and raised an eyebrow.

"You really think you can stop me?"

"No, but that's not the issue here. Your home is halfway across the globe, and I'm the one with the jet car."

His smug expression rubbed her the wrong way, and in retaliation, she folded her arms over her chest, defying him with body language.

"I could always call the guys back at the temple, you know. I'm sure Dojo and the others would only be too happy to relieve me of such. . .unsavory company."

The way she spoke made it sound like an innocent threat. Jack wasn't certain if he should take her seriously or not, so he settled for a small pout as he looked down at her with shining eyes.

". . .what happened to thanking me?"

That was not his best puppy dog face; she knew because she had seen it many times before. However, it was enough to serve its purpose and make her feel bad enough to grudgingly concede.

"Fine. You win. I-. . .oh!"

Jack jumped at her paused outburst.

"What? What's wrong?" he probed, concerned that he had somehow messed up again.

Her grin in response was sweet. Sugary sweet.

"All right, Jack," she started impishly. "I'll stay. But, if you expect to spend the rest of the night without. . .further complications. . .you'll have to do something for me in return."

_Oh great_, he couldn't help lamenting to himself_. What have I gotten myself into now?_

"And what, pre-tell, would I have to do?" he asked warily.

"Oh, nothing much, just escort me to another club," she answered with a casual shrug. Then, with that same too-sweet smirk, added, "of _my_ choosing."

Jack blinked for a second or two, then slumped forward in premature defeat.

Blackmail was the best persuasion. He had learned that at an early age. Apparently, so had Kimiko.

"Whatever, fine."

She hopped up and down with joy, making the ball of dread in his stomach sink even further.

"You'll have to dress accordingly, just I like I did," she bubbled gleefully.

"Ok, fine! Let's just. . .go back inside," he concluded in exasperation. His exasperation vanished when she hooked him by two of his fingers and happily lead him back to the club.

She was true to her word--for the rest of the night, Kimiko was nothing but pleasant and personable. And for the rest of the night, Jack was able to forget about the inevitable doom he knew he would be facing the next day.


End file.
